Photoprint-developing machine.



ChC. TOWNES. PHoToPRINT DEVELOPING MACHINE.

patented Feb. 15,1916;

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

lll,

Wl /VESSES OWIZ A WOR/VHS C'. C. TOWNES.

PHOTOPRINT DEVELOPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAILSI, -1'915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Feb. 15, 19716'.

hun..

Sie

unirsi) s CHARLES CARTER TGWNES, 0F ORTLAND, REGGN.

Specification of Letters '.Eatent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

' Application led March-31, '1915. Serial No. 18,254.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. To'wNns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, in the county of Multno- .mah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fhotoprint-l)eveloping Machines, of which the following' is a specification.

My invention -relates to the developing, lining, and washing of photographic positives in a purely mechanical manner and in large quantities, as for amateurs, and one of the main objects thereof is to provide an apparatus which accomplishes the above results automatically.

A further object is to provide a plurality of gripping devices for successive prints suitably spaced apart and engaging the respective prints at a desired point and releasing the same at another desired point.

Another object is to provide means for moving said prints through a fixed path of suitable length to insure the proper period of time foreach of the successive operations.

A further object is to provide means for maintaining` each of the solutions at a desired temperature; and further objects are to provide such apparatus which is simple in construction and use, positive in results, fool-proof, composed of few parts not likely to get out of order, comparatively inexpensive, and having a wide range for'.

prints of different sizes, and agreat and continuous output.

My invention is fullydescribed in the folp lowing specification, of which the accompanying drawings forni a part, in which,

like reference characters refer to like parts in each of the views, and in which Y Figure 1 is a fragmentary, vertical, longitudinal section taken through my apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the print gripping mechanism.

' In the drawings forming a part of this application I have shown a present preferred form of embodiment of my invention, comprising a frame 7 carrying a developer tank 8, a fixing tank 9, and a washing tank 10, and a prime mover 11. The motor 11 is connected, by means of a belt 12 and a pulley 13, with a drive shaft* 14 also carrying pulleys 15 and 16 and a drum 17 over which is passedl an endless blanket 18, shownl fragmentarily, thereby providing a horizontal conveyer portion 19. The pulley 16 of the drive shaft 14 is connected,by means of a belt 20, with a pulley 21 on a shaft 22 24:, adjacent -each end for endless sprocket chains 25 guided over adjacent sprockets 2G on a shaft 27, Figs. 1 and 4, over upper sprockets 28 and29, Fig. 1, over sprockets only the conductors of which are illustrated,

and the .sprockets 38 are similarly mounted on a shaft 4l carried at the bottom of a water tank 42 provided with an inlet pipe 43 from a suitable source of supply, and with an outlet pipe 44 leading to the washing tank 10, Fig. 2. A constant supply of water at desired temperature, such as degrees F., is led to and through the tank 42, and a suitable overflow pipe is provided for the washing tank 10, although not shown.

The developer tank S is slidably adjustable, vertically, o n suitable guides 45, and the fixing tank 9 is similarly adjustable on guides46, whereby said tanks may be raised to submerge the respective portions or loops of the sprocket chains in their contained solutions, or said tanks may be lowered to a point beneath said loops. l

The pulley 23 on the shaft 22 is connected, by means of a belt'47 -with a pulley 48 on a shaft 49 carrying a drum 50 for an endless conveyer belt 51 also guided over a drum 52, the latter drum being arranged adjacent the shaft 27 whereby the forward end ofsaid conveyer belt 51 is projected beneath the rearward ends of the conveyer chains 25, Figs.` 1 and 4, in order to carry a print into juxtaposition with said chains. The conveyer chains 25 are joined, at suitably spaced intervals, by cross bars 53, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, of angular cross section,

adjacent the opposite end of the .frame 7, said shaft 22 carrying another pulley 23 and being provided with a sprocket-wheel -oi the eiii lbar are offset so as to engafe D n J lined cams 56, which tend to separate the bars and 54: ioi' a briei period oi time; these cams are arranged over the itorward end oi: the conveyor belt 5l so that a print `on said conveyor belt will be carried between the bars 53 anc. 55 when so separated; the upper surface of the bar 55 vis in the approirimate horizontal plane rof the conveyor belt 5l tor this reason, and the cams 56 are made ot a length to maintain the grip bars apart sulliciently long to permit the conveyer'belt 5l to move a print therebetween, after which the springs on the bolts 5ft draw the'bar into Contact with the print and the`latter moves forwardly with the chains.

Arranged above the conveyor belt 5l, at each side of Athe machineis' a guide plate 57 for guiding a print on the belt 51, and

said guide plates carry a pivot rod 58, Figs.`

2 andA l, provided with two hooked rods 59 normally resting upon the conveyor belt 5l, Fig. l, and serving as stops for an advancing print until one ot the gripping' elements on the chains is approaching gripping position. Pivotally mounted on one plate 5'?, at 60, is a lever 6l, one end of which is inwardly turned beneath the hoked rods 59 and the other end oi which is projected along the outer side vof one of the chains 25, and this chain is provided with projecting pins at spaced intervals determined by the positions of the gripping elements; each of these pins is adapted to depress the :torward end of the lever 6l and thus raise the hooked rods 59 and permit-a print, previ-' v ously stopped thereby, to proceed, said print being shown at G3, -Fig. 4C.

lilach sensitiaed positive sheet, after exposure', is ed'to the conveyorv belt v5l and is carried forwardly to the stops 59 until said stops are raised to permitthe positive move forwardly between the grip bars as already described; the prints lare thus 'successively engaged and carried downwardly into the developingv solution, thereoutolz, into the lining solutiomtliereoutof, 'into the washing .tank where a sufoiently long period ot subjection to the water is permitted jlor thorough cleansing and thence to the conveyor blanket l@ and to a desired point, release cams Gel being provided -tor the-gripper bars similar to those already described. f

The period o'subjection oli the prints to the action of the ,developing agent, the iii;- ing solution and the washing bath, are all arbitrary, will be understood, and thetemperaturesof the developing agent andl solution are also arbitrary, but it be seen that all the operations are inecally performed and automatic. The oping is preferably by what is known e factorial system,and it will be noted that prints of any sizes whatever, within the limits of -the machine, are positively gr ined and conveyed through thevariou steps of the treatment.

-` i/l/'liile l have shown apresent preferred general arrangement, and certain details of construction, 1t will be obvious that l do not limit myselia thereto, but may make changes,

thereover, within the scope of the following claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacrificing its advantages.

Having lully described my invention,'

what l claim as new, and desire 'to-secure by Letters TPatent, is

l. il .photo print machine, comprising a support, a. tank or a developer, a tank :tor iiier, means tor independently adjusting the heights thereof, a washing tank, an endless eo'nveyer movable through said tanks, and means on said conveyer for engagement with a print.

El. t photo printniachine, con'iprising a support, a tank for a developer, a tank ior fixer, means for maintaining said developer and fixer at desired temperatures, a

washing tank, and endless conveyor passed through said tanks, and means on said cor-.-v veyer tor engagement with aprint.

3. Ac photo print machine, comprising a support, a tank -for a developer, means forv leading a heated iiuid thereto independently f of the developer, a tank for a fixer, a washing tank, an endless conveyor lpassed through said tanks, and means thereon itor "engagement with al print.

d. 'Lphoto print machine, comprising a support; a tank for a developer, a tank i'or a fixer, an electrically energized heater in said liner tank, a washing tank, an endless fconveyer passed througlisaid tanks,` and.

ineanson said conveyor 'for engagement with a print.

5. i'pphoto print machine, comprising a support, a tank for a developer, a tank for a iiiier, a washing tank, an endless eonveyer passed through said tanks, means for lead'- ing a print to said conveyor, means for preventing such print movement, means oir said conveyor lor rendering said prevention means inoperative, andmeans on said eonveyeror print engagement.

-6. i photo print machine, comprising a support, a tank for a developer, a tank for a hner, a washing tank, an endlessconveyer l passed through said tanks, nieansffor leading a print thereto, print gripping means ico" on said conveyor, and means for opening and closing said grippingmeans at predetermined moments to engage a print.

7. A photo print machine, comprising -a point to release said print, and means for 10 support, a tank for a developer, a tank for conveying said print from said machine. a fixer, a` Washing tank, an endless conveyer In testimony whereof I have signed my passed through said tanks, means for leadname to this specification in the presence of l ing a print thereto, print gripping meansy two subsoribingwitnesses.

on said conveyer, means'for opening and CHARLES CARTER TOWNES. closing said gripping means at a predeter- Witnesses: mined point to engage a print,`means for MENEFEE,

opening said gripping means at another v .BETA DONOVAN. 

